"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
The proper development of the central nervous system depends on the ability of neurons to extend axons to their proper synaptic targets and to build synapses on them once they have arrived. Syndecan was recently shown to be a crucial regulator of nervous system development. Mutations in the Syndecan gene cause fruitfly embryos to develop with frequent errors in axon guidance at the midline of the central nervous system. In addition, Syndecan mutants have severe defects in synapse growth. Binding partners for the extracellular domain of Syndecan have recently been identified, however, the mechanisms by which Syndecan controls neural development is unknown. In this project, biochemical and genetic screens will be conducted using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster to identify novel proteins that work with Syndecan to help build the central nervous system. In addition, a variety of engineered Syndecan expression constructs will be tested in order to reveal which domains of Syndecan are required for function. These studies should provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of how Syndecan controls axon guidance and synapse formation, and also are likely to identify novel genes which control these processes. In addition, because Syndecan is highly conserved from Drosophila to humans, this project will provide broadly applicable information about how neurons find their synaptic targets, and how synapses grow once the postsynaptic target has been contacted.
This project will be conducted at a small liberal arts college and entirely by undergraduate students. Students considering careers in science benefit tremendously from undergraduate research experiences; it allows them to learn how scientific knowledge is gained, and to consider whether they wish to pursue a career in scientific research. Working closely with the PI, students will develop their own research projects. The research is also brought into the classroom, providing additional opportunities for undergraduate students to use the mutants and other genetic materials developed in the PI's laboratory to conduct their own independent research projects in his upper-division courses. Lastly, contact with both junior high and high school students through the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium will allow additional opportunities to discuss research and the process of conducting hypothesis-driven scientific inquiry.
